Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Josh Turek is going on the air with his first televised ad of the general election campaign, highlighting his gold medal-winning career as a Paralympian.
Turek announced Aug. 11 that his campaign will begin airing the 30-second ad, called “USA,” on television, streaming and digital platforms.
Turek, a state representative from Council Bluffs, was born with spina bifida and uses a wheelchair. He represented Team USA in wheelchair basketball at four Paralympic games, winning gold in 2016 and 2020.
“Four Paralympics. Two golds. I was so proud to represent our country and Iowa all around the world,” Turek says in the ad, as the screen shows images of his Paralympic jerseys and gold medals before cutting to Turek narrating the ad from a basketball court, wearing a “USA” jersey.
The ad shows footage of Turek sinking a basket at the Paralympics and celebrating a win on the court with the rest of Team USA, draped in an American flag.
“We won because we worked together as a team, and cared about he name on the front of the jersey, not the back,” he says, pointing to the bold “USA” letters on his jersey. “That’s what’s missing in Washington. Both parties fight with each other and just look out for themselves.”
“In the Senate, I will work with anyone to fight the corruption, clean up Washington and make them work for us again,” he concludes.
Turek faces Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson and Libertarian Thomas Laehn in the Nov. 3 general election — Iowa’s first open U.S. Senate race since 2014. The candidates are running to succeed Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, who is not seeking a third term.
The race is expected to be competitive, and both Democrats and Republicans are spending heavily on the contest this year.
Senate Majority PAC, a super PAC dedicated to electing Democrats, has pledged to spend $30 million in Iowa on ads attacking Hinson over her support for tariffs, the Iran war and cuts to Medicaid spending.
VoteVets, a progressive veterans group, is also on the air with a $1.6 million ad buy attacking Hinson over the Iran war. The group spent more than $10 million this spring boosting Turek in the Democratic primary.
On the Republican side, the Senate Leadership Fund has pledged to spend $29 million to support Hinson. And the group’s sister organization, One Nation, is spending $11 million on ads praising Hinson’s record in Congress.
Turek outraised Hinson in the most recent quarter, $2.8 million to $2.1 million, but Hinson has more money in the bank, with $6.7 million compared with his $2.4 million.
Turek has frequently leaned into his basketball career on the campaign trail. Last month, his campaign released a video of him shooting hoops with former President Barack Obama as Obama endorsed his Senate bid.
Stephen Gruber-Miller is the Capitol bureau chief for the Des Moines Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@registermedia.com, by phone at 515-284-8169 or on X at @sgrubermiller.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Josh Turek airs first general election TV ads in Iowa’s US Senate race
Reporting by Stephen Gruber-Miller, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Stephen Gruber-Miller, Des Moines Register | USA TODAY Network
